Yeah, part of it is that I think I have something like 30 living first cousins. All but me had kids, so I have cousins I've never met. No, I don't send cards to many of them. But mostly it is people we were assigned with over the years, and I really enjoy getting a card and letter; yes, even a form letter, knowing what someone my Dad knew in Virginia, I knew in Hawaii, for example, is doing in Nebraska. To get this, ya gotta give. A few family and old friends are elderly, at least one non compos mentis, and getting a card makes their day, so I make sure they get the most colorful (or in cases where I know the person was religious ... ) ones I can find. One high school friend emailed me that her mom was thrilled with a 3-D creche card I sent her. This makes the entire process worthwhile. I just wish I had figured out how to make labels on the computer. Most people I either phone or email regularly, but there are a few holdouts, and most are old family friends, so I do write a short newsletter to those.

I quit shortly after my mother died. I was sending out close to 80 cards and even some of my first cousins couldn't be bothered to send a Christmas card or acknowledge my mother's (their aunt's) passing. That kind of soured me on sending cards. The last year I sent them, I got about 15 cards back with wrong addresses. I gave up at that point. Now with facebook and email, I can send greetings and keep up with friends all year long.

Yes, sure do. Just to immediate family and friends. I think a nice card with a hand written note is a great keepsake. I use the ones I get as decorations. I hang them off if red ribbon draped over the hall door. Then I same them for the next year and we hang them off other doors in the house.